People / group

Big Five (Hawaii)

The Big Five were five corporations that dominated the economy and politics of Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Castle & Cooke, Alexander & Baldwin, C. Brewer & Co., American Factors and Theo H. Davies & Co. Founded as agents for sugar plantations, they also controlled shipping, banking and trade. Their power declined after the Second World War as unions and the Democratic Party grew stronger.

Big Five (Hawaii)
Image: joanna orpia from QLD, australia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Territory of Hawaii

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Big Five (Hawaii). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/big-five-hawaii
MLA
“Big Five (Hawaii).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/big-five-hawaii. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Big Five (Hawaii).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/big-five-hawaii.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Big Five (Hawaii)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/big-five-hawaii (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻